Thread: VA-Helping Businesses Hire Legal Workers

Helping Businesses Hire Legal Workers


Harrisonburg, Va.
Posted: 4:14 PM Aug 7, 2009
Last Updated: 4:58 PM Aug 7, 2009
Reporter: Michael Hyland
Email Address: mhyland@whsv.com

The issue of hiring undocumented immigrants has Valley businesses looking for ways to ensure their employees are in the United States legally.

Immigration officials say the new focus in enforcement is looking more at employers who hire illegally as opposed to people who work illegally.

Bill Shaw used to take care of the hiring for a landscaping business.

"I really thought that we were complying with the law, that anyone working for us had shown documents," says Shaw.

One day in 1996, immigration officials showed up at his office. They arrested more than 80 of the business's 115 employees and he says it practically destroyed the business.

"It was then I learned these documents they'd shown their employer were fraudulent. My main feeling at the time was one of anger because there was no program in place for employers to be able to protect themselves," says Shaw.

The IMAGE program may be one. Shaw is now a senior special agent with Immigration and Customs Enforcement who works with employers to teach them best hiring practices and how to ensure they hire a legal workforce.

"If you have a stable organization where you only make a new hire every five years, that's one situation. But if you're hiring people for shorter-term jobs, then it becomes a real burden," says James Berg, the president and CEO of the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce, which hosted Friday's seminar.

This issue gained attention locally when ICE agents seized items from the Cargill facility in Dayton last year. In an affidavit, an ICE senior special agent alleged that hundreds of undocumented immigrants were working there.

Shaw says ICE has become the largest law enforcement agency in the country. There are also more auditors checking hiring forms.

Through the IMAGE program, ICE is trying to ensure more companies comply with the law. Still, even with seminars like this one, Shaw says a lot of businesses don't sign up.

"There are some companies out there who think they cannot do business without utilizing that workforce," says Shaw.

The I-9 form ensures you're eligibility for work. If a business joins the IMAGE program, it guarantees the company will be audited. Shaw says that can keep businesses from signing on.

As part of this program, ICE agents are showing business managers security measures used in producing official documents. Such information has been traditionally reserved for investigators.



http://www.whsv.com/news/headlines/52682332.html

Mandatory E-Verify, SAVE ID, and IMAGE check submitted to federal and state labor and dhs would cross match the two agency to get the job of immigration done. Is Virginia Employment Security Commission using E-Verify to check I-9s of immigrants?

I do believe ICE is GRABBING the attention of the EMPLOYERS NOW!

Amazing what can happen if you actually hold the employer responsible for his or her actions by hiring ILLEGAL ALIENS!

Good News for American workers.

"There are some companies out there who think they cannot do business without utilizing that workforce," says Shaw.

If some companies can't do business without hiring illegals, then I guess they shouldn't be doing business. If I were to say, "Well, I can't afford to pay my bills unless I embezzle money from my employer", what would these businesses think about that? Does that make my embezzling okay?

We need all of the employers in the valley to use this program. My wife and daughter are looking for work and they have to compete with these illegals. They have gone to plant tours where afterwards they are sent away and told "We will call you." while the hispanics are told to stay. This very Cargill plant is one of them that did this to them. It doesn't seem like they have changed anything since the raid. The Harrisonburg Daily news record today reported that we have the highest uninsured rate in the state and blamed it on the college students. It never once mentioned the problem with Illegals being uninsured. We need mandatory E-verify and Immigration inforcement now.

Sorry to hear that "disgustedamerican" and Harrisonburg looks like a great place.
I pass that way up I-81 to Pa. Up through the Shenandoah Valley is great!